Mike Nadel: Surprising Illini look like this year's Boilermakers

Wednesday

Could Illinois be this year's Purdue, the surprise team of the Big Ten? Could Bruce Weber's hard-working kids leave basketball observers everywhere asking: "Where the heck did they come from?

Go ahead, Illini Land, get pumped.

Could Illinois be this year's Purdue, the surprise team of the Big Ten? Could Bruce Weber's hard-working kids leave basketball observers everywhere asking: "Where the heck did they come from?"

I'll answer that question with another: Why not?

Based on what we've seen so far, the Fighting Illini are more talented, deeper and much more mentally tough than any reasonable person could have expected.

Weber went into Tuesday night's game wondering if he had any one player capable of being "special" against the ninth-ranked Boilermakers. After the Illini's exciting 71-67 overtime victory, the coach was smiling ear to ear.

"I thought maybe one guy would have to make some uncanny shots ... or just play out of his mind," Weber said. "We ended up having five, six, seven guys step up."

Chester Frazier scored two points in 41 minutes but provided such incredible leadership, defense, rebounding and ballhandling that Purdue coach Matt Painter was raving about him afterward.

"The guy cares," Painter said. "They got it handed to them last year, and he doesn't want it to happen again."

Mike Davis, a sophomore playing extended minutes in a big road game for the first time, made several huge plays down the stretch -- including back-to-back blocked shots against Purdue star Robbie Hummel. Though not as physically gifted as Purdue big man JaJuan Johnson, Mike Tisdale outscored Johnson 18-16.

In his first major action since transferring from Kentucky, Alex Legion displayed the kind of instant offense all the recruiting gurus said he would. Steady Trent Meacham was a big reason the poised Illini committed only six turnovers. Calvin Brock scored twice early in OT as the Illini captured momentum for good.

Even Demetri McCamey, benched in the second half and overtime for poor play, earned Weber's respect after re-entering the game midway through the extra period.

"To his credit, he did come back, took a charge, got a steal," Weber said. "He missed some free throws but then he made them down the stretch. He grew up. He could have pouted -- and he didn't."

There certainly is no reason for the Illini to pout -- as they did often while bickering their way through last season's 16-19 debacle. Now they're 13-1 and playing as well as anybody in the league.

It's not even worth pouting about the alleged experts who have snubbed Illinois in the polls. The Illini are using it as motivation.

"I'd like to stay under the radar," Frazier said. "I don't want this team to get complacent. We've got to stay hungry, like we've been, keep that chip on our shoulder."

Said Weber: "We thought maybe we'd edge into the polls (after trouncing Missouri last week). One (poll) -- I don't know who the heck was voting -- had Missouri ahead of us. I don't think they turned on the TV or opened the paper last week."

As an ink-stained wretch, I'm pleased that the coaches who voted in the USA Today/ESPN poll -- and not the writers from the AP poll -- were the idiots who still had Missouri's thrashees ranked ahead of Illinois' thrashers.

Regardless, Illinois will start getting noticed now -- just as Purdue did a year ago. Little had been expected from Painter's young Boilermakers, but they ended up going 25-9 thanks to great teamwork, sound fundamentals, tenacity and offensive balance.

How has Illinois been winning this season? With teamwork, sound fundamentals, tenacity and balance.

"Can we be this year's Purdue, the team that comes out of nowhere? I hope so," Weber said. "They were so young last year, and we're not quite as young with Chester and Trent, but we do depend a lot on our young players.

"There probably are six teams in the Big Ten that will be better than people expected. Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Northwestern ... and I hope we're in that group."

Hope? The cool thing about playing in the very first game of the conference season is that if you win it, you are at the top of the group.

"We've got to stay humble, but we did just beat one of the best teams in the nation on their court," Davis said. "So if you're asking me what I'd tell the fans, I'd say: 'Go ahead. Get excited!' "